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Rabbitte lobbied on CEO pay

L
abour minister Pat Rabbitte lobbied in favour of pay increases for chief executives of three state and semi-state bodies last year.

Rabbitte, the communications minister, secured agreement from Brendan Howlin, the minister for public expenditure, for a 22% pay hike for Pat Meehan, chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Oil Reserves Agency (Nora), which increased his salary from €110,000 to €135,000 a year.

Howlin rejected Rabbitte’s request for a pay rise for the CEO of EirGrid, according to documents released to The Sunday Times under the Freedom of Information act. The communications minister also lobbied for a pay rise for the head of Bord Gais, but those records have been withheld on grounds of commercial sensitivity.

Rabbitte began lobbying in May 2011 to have Meehan’s salary increased, 18 months before the Nora chief’s contract was due to be renewed. In his initial letter, Rabbitte acknowledged Meehan had refused to